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Bus Company Says Thin Drivers Deserve Better Pay 54

In an attempt to promote good employee health, a Lithuanian transport company is paying thin drivers better salaries than their overweight co-workers. Over 100 drivers were weighed to determine their BMI. "We just wanted to promote a health lifestyle," said Vilius Lauzikas, director of Busturas, the transport company in question. The local union and donut loving drivers aren't fans of the new policy. "We cannot call it nothing other than a mockery. If they (the company) do not reconsider we will appeal to the courts," a union representative said.

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Bus Company Says Thin Drivers Deserve Better Pay

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  • I am pretty sure most countries in the developed world do not allow discrimination on the basis of weight.

    • by v1 ( 525388 )

      but there's nothing illegal with the doorway to the interviewer's office being really narrow ;)

      • by jgreco ( 1542031 )

        Actually, here in the USA, it may be... we have the Americans with Disabilities Act.

        For the purposes of this thread, I therefore deem the USA to be a country where doorways (and lots of other things) must legally be built to accommodate fat people. That would seem to imply that the fatness of US citizens is legally protected. And you wonder why there's an obesity epidemic...

        And for the bazillion people who will correct me or mod me down, come on, have a laugh.

        • by v1 ( 525388 )

          what's sad is that "fat" is considered a disability.

          In my book, a "disability" is something that's beyond your control, you're asking society to help you with a disadvantage you can't fix. You can't fix paralyzed, you can't fix amputatated, you can't fix crippled, and you can't fix blind. While I realize this is not always the case, most of the time, you can fix FAT.

          Problem is, the 95% of the people with "fixable fat" are trying to suck up to the system to help enable their problem, under the banner of t

          • by sjames ( 1099 )

            Yes, of course, because there's nothing easier than defying millions of years of evolution by routinely not eating when you're hungry.

            • by jgreco ( 1542031 )

              Then make yourself not hungry.

              Try drinking a large glass of water. Most people don't get enough water; doing it once probably doesn't work too well, but I found that drinking more water consistently made me less hungry. It's the perfect no-calorie drink.

              Eat something that is low-calorie. Cheap and quick? Try baby carrots, 100 calories for 8 ounces. A can of Del Monte green beans, 70 calories per can. Either one is a fair amount of food, is healthy for you, and won't ruin you for calories.

              Most importan

              • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

                by sjames ( 1099 )

                By doing that consistently for several years AND exercising 3 hours every night, I actually got my weight to only 20 pounds over my "ideal" weight. Then I became an adult with an actual responsibility to have a job and that went out the window.

                You did a nice job assUmeing that I "gorge myself" at meals. Perhaps YOU do/did that, but I certainly don't.

                The simple fact is that some people wolf down the calories, barely exercise, and remain thin because they are naturally thin. Others eat sparingly and exercise

                • by jgreco ( 1542031 )

                  Some of us have been "adults" with "actual responsibility" for decades. The fact of the matter is that the United States is rapidly trending towards overweight; this is not a matter of "naturally thin" or "natural weight." I wrote a different message that you might want to read in this thread that helps shed some light on some of that.

            • Read up on the science behind low-carbohydrate eating, you actually don't have to starve to lose weight.

              • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

                by v1 ( 525388 )

                The amazingly easy diet is simply this: slow down. It's a very well established fact that it takes your body up to 25 minutes to register "I've had enough to eat", and that's 25 minutes of time you continue to feed your face past your need. If you just pace your meals, take small portions at a time and make several trips to the buffet instead of PILING up two plates, not gulp down your food, you'll find you get to "satisfied" without eating nearly as much food or making ANY changes in your diet.

                So many pe

              • by sjames ( 1099 )

                Yeah, uh, huh! I spent a year eating exactly what the skinniest person I have ever met ate (most people just assumed she was anorexic). Identical plates. Guess what? I lost a few pounds and then leveled off.

                It may be that there is some magic diet that turns fat people thin without creating a state of perpetual starvation, but if so, science apparently hasn't found it.

                Life is too short to consume it with worrying over a 'condition' that causes me no harm whatsoever.

                This kind of reminds me of all the people w

            • by Zeek40 ( 1017978 )

              Yes, of course, because there's nothing easier than defying millions of years of evolution by routinely not eating when you're hungry.

              Or not assaulting people when you're angry, or not raping people when you're horny, or not stealing when you're jealous.

              Welcome to civilized society, where we expect you to have some fucking impulse control.

              • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

                by sjames ( 1099 )

                Guess what will happen if you follow someone around hurling insults 24/7. He will surely assault you eventually.

                There's only so long a person can be expected to put up a sustained resistance to that sort of impulse. People avoid giving in to horny through a combination of finding a willing partner, hiring a willing partner, or "going solo". In other words, they give in all the time to a drive that is lower on the order of evolutionary priorities than eating (no eat = no reproduce ever again, after all).

                Here

                • Re: (Score:2, Flamebait)

                  by Zeek40 ( 1017978 )
                  No, I'm comparing the lack of self control demonstrated by fat people (who don't have a medical reason for being fat) to the lack of self control demonstrated by criminals, because both are improper responses to a feeling or emotion that result in harm to oneself or others.

                  Everyone gets angry once in a while. People with self control find a way to vent that anger that doesn't harm themselves or others. People without self control attack what they're angry at.

                  Everyone gets hungry once in a while. People

                  • by sjames ( 1099 )

                    It appears that you are simply unable to conceive the possibility that just maybe some or even most fat people are either cursed with an overly efficient metabolism or an over active sense of hunger.

                    Given the degree to which that colors your every thought on the subject, there is no real point in even attempting to discuss the subject.

                    PLONK

                    • by Zeek40 ( 1017978 )
                      Please, continue telling me what I think and what I'm capable of understanding. It says a lot about the frailty of your argument that you've chosen to abandon defending it and moved on to making unfounded personal attacks instead.
                      If either your 'overly efficient metabolism' or 'over active sense of hunger' are actual medical conditions, I made exceptions for them in my previous arguments. If they're just excuses you're making for fat people to continue indulging in their base instincts, then you've help
                    • by sjames ( 1099 )

                      The problem is, you're not actually presenting an argument, you just keep claiming fat people are gluttonous with no evidence or even an anecdote to back your claim.

                      Of course, I'm not sure either of those is any more a medical condition than dark skin or green eyes.

                      I have to say, you sound much like the people of yesteryear who were sure all N***ers were slothful and had no soul. Present yourself better and this could turn into a discussion.

                    • Adenovirus 36 is strongly implicated in obesity. Infection with this virus during childhood leads to disproportionate weight gain compared to a control group who shows no signs of exposure to the virus. The mechanism is demonstrated. It seems a person's body diverts more resources to depositing fat than it would without infection. And that's just one brick in the wall. Read up, Zeek. It's easy to feel superior when you're ignorant.
                    • by Zeek40 ( 1017978 )
                      OK, Here’s my argument:

                      Obesity is not a physical disability (with the exception of obesity caused by physiological disorders such as Thyroid disease) because it can be managed through diet and exercise. Becoming obese is not something that happens overnight, you don’t wake up fit on Monday, go on a buffet bender and wake up obese on Tuesday, it requires a long term pattern of self-destructive, self-indulgent behavior. Obesity is the number two (fast approaching number one) preventable cause

                    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

                      by poptones ( 653660 )

                      You're awfully arrogant for a man whose entire premise is failed from the start. You keep harping about people overindulging as if that's the entire cause of the problem. It isn't. As someone who has been "naturally fat" since a child and who has managed to get the weight off only to watch it come back again, I can tell you without doubt I eat far less NOW than I did before I essentially doubled my weight. When I was in my mid twenties I lived at the gym - went in the morning, went again at night. I weighed

                    • by Zeek40 ( 1017978 )
                      If you'll read my post further down the line, you can see that I don't give a shit about fat people, what I care about is fat people who want their obesity to be treated as a disability.
          • by jgreco ( 1542031 )

            I do not necessarily disagree with your basic idea there.

            However, let's be aware of the fact that we've had a shift away from healthy foods in the last 30 or so years. There's even a school of thought that the food pyramid (USDA, 1992, from an earlier Denmark concept) itself is fundamentally wrong, and that emphasis on complex carbs has had a profound effect on public health.

            Speaking for myself, I've been able to lose weight first and foremost by doing some intensive reading and thinking. I've read with s

    • by Q-Hack! ( 37846 ) *

      I am pretty sure most countries in the developed world do not allow discrimination on the basis of weight.

      I can't speak for other countries, but here in the USA, there is nothing illegal about discrimination on the basis of weight. The US military does, as do Fire rescue, etc... Do you really want a 300 lbs. fireman climbing up the ladder to pull you from a burning multi-story building? Or how about an airline stewardess who is so large they can't fit down the aisle way. Model agencies are probably the best known example of weight discrimination. Heck, my company pays its employees a bonus if they work out

      • Heck, my company pays its employees a bonus if they work out.

        I don't think I'd want to work for a company that expects me to waste my time at the gym. Unless, of course, I was doing it in work hours. I definitely wouldn't do it in my own time.

        What a stupid policy.

        • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

          by adolf ( 21054 )

          I think your pay for "working out" is the bonus.

          Therefore, it's during "work hours." The pay may be more than, less than, or the same as your usual rate, but it's still paid.

          You can even claim that you're a professional excerciser since you're being paid to do it.

          You don't want to do that sort of work? Cool. No "bonus" for you.

          *shrug*

          • I've got better things to do with my time, like work for a company that pays a decent wage and doesn't waste money on stupid ideas like this. I'm probably fitter than most of the people at your company's gym anyway ;-)

            I've got to wonder if this is maybe discriminating against disabled workers, too.

          • by tepples ( 727027 )

            The pay may be more than, less than, or the same as your usual rate, but it's still paid.

            Unless it pays at least $7.25 per hour, minimum wage law might interfere with your interpretation.

    • I am pretty sure most countries in the developed world do not allow discrimination on the basis of weight.

      And I'm pretty sure that with the obesity problem and associated medical issues killing people at an alarming rate, driving all insurance rates up, we need this discrimination.

  • "We cannot call it nothing other than a mockery"
    Hang on. So they can call it something other than a mockery? So it's OK, then.
  • in the description that someone who is thin wouldn't also be upset with discrimination of someone else.

  • Um, I, myself, wouldn't complain about this. If you would, it (probably) says one thing clearly: "I'm fat and I defend my right to be." Ok, uh, don't you wanna think about that before yelling it too loudly? Tell me that being fat isn't a choice? Go on, I dare ya.
    • I'm fat and I think it's a great idea. Maybe if I had an distinct immediate incentive other than a vague distant one like "some day your heart will explode," I would take the time to lose the weight.

      Oh well.

    • There are many medical conditions that most people confuse as obesity. One such condition is lymphedema. I know more than I wish I knew about it because my wife has primary bilateral lipi lymphedema. She has permanent swelling in both arms and both legs. I'd be willing to bet that you'd take one look at her and say that she's fat by choice. I'm not saying the whole idea is terrible, I think it's actually great. The article only says it's *one* of the criteria that goes into their pay raise equation.
  • I did a quick search on this thread, and did not see a single "loose" post. On a subject like this one, where people are often talking about losing weight, I expected to see many mistakes. Everyone that has posted here has made my day. Thank you all!
    • I could loose the weight, but if I loose my way in the Gobi desert next weak, I will not have enough fat on me too survive the harsh winter, and than I will get all week and die. You don't want that do you? F

      • by Surt ( 22457 )

        I could loose the weight, but if I loose my way in the Gobi desert next weak, I will not have enough fat on me too survive the harsh winter, and than I will get all week and dye. You don't want that do you? F

        FTFY.

  • The less the bus driver weighs, the less weight the bus has to carry around all day. This should lead to some fuel savings! Also healthier employees will take less sick days, which is better for the company.

"The vast majority of successful major crimes against property are perpetrated by individuals abusing positions of trust." -- Lawrence Dalzell

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